Insulated gripping device for tools



Sept. 6, 1960 I D E. BROCKNER 2,951,259

INSULATED GRIPPING DEVICE FOR TOOLS Filed March 22, 1957 HTTORNEY United States Patent Office 2,951,259 Patented Sept. 6, 1960 INSULATED GRIPPHN'G DEVICE FOR TOOLS David Elwood Bruckner, 734 Center Ave, River Edge, NJ.

Filed Mar. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 647,924

1 Claim. (Cl. 16116) My invention relates to gripping devices for tools and is directed particularly to removable scissor grip insulators for use with pliers, pincers, cutters and the like tools having a pair of mutually pivoted handles.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a grip that can readily be applied to a wide range of such tools for insulating purposes, and which at the same time converts the tool to scissor-like handle structure to facilitate manual manipulation of the tool.

Another object of my invention is to provide a scissor grip insulator of the character described which is of integral construction and which is flexible so as readily to mould itself about the back of the hand of the user, and provides for a one-hand operation in addition to its insulating qualities.

Another object of my invention is to provide a scissor grip insulator of the above nature which can simply and inexpensively be constructed of ordinary plastic or rubbertubing.

Still another object is to provide a scissor grip insulation device which will be long-wearing in use and extremely effective in maintaining the users hands insulated from the tool handles.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a pair of pliers to the handles of which a pair of scissor grip insulators embodying the invention have been applied,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing separately one of the scissor grip insulators of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an end elevationalview of the scissor grip insulator shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a side view of a length of plastic material shaped for making a modified form of scissor grip insulator according to my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the modified form of the scissor grip insulator made from the length of plastic material shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to Fig. l, the numeral indicates generally a SCiSsOI grip insulator according to my invention applied in use to each handle H of a pair of pliers P. Each of the insulators 10 perferably is shaped of a tough, flexible synthetic plastic material such as Teflon, and has a tubular portion 11 integrally formed with a loop portion 12 which extends between the ends of said tubular portion to form an elongated opening. As can best be seen in Fig. 3, the loop portion 12 is arcuate in cross section, as indicated at 13, with the convex side extending into the loop.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, in use the tubular portions 11 of the scissor grip insulators 10 are pushed fully on the handles H of the pliers or other tool with which they are to be used. The inner ends of the resilient tubular portions 11 will expand to snugly fit upon and hold at the enlarged forward ends of the handles H. The palm and thumb can then be inserted in the respective loops of the handles 10 for positively controlling and manipulating the tool. The flexibility of the loop portions 12 adapt themselves readily to the size and shape of the users hand. Since the loop portions 12 are closed at either end to the insulating tubular portions 11, accidental slippage of the fingers beyond the insulated lengths of the tool handles is prevented, insuring safety against electrical shock or heat.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of the invention wherein the scissors grip insulator is fabricated from a length of plastic or rubber tubing. As illustrated in Fig. 4, a length of tubing 14 has each end longitudinally cut away to provide arcuate end arm portions 15 and 16 extending from a central tubular portion 17. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the end arm portions 15 and 16 are doubled back, overlapped and cemented together, or fastened by any other suitable means, at their overlapping zone to provide an elongated loop interconnecting the end portions of the tubular central section 17 as in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-3.

Though only two forms in which the invention may be embodied in practice are described in this specification, it is to be understood that these forms are given by way of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to the particular disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent is:

A removable and reusable resilient insulator for use in connection with pliers, or other tools having similar hand-gripping features, consisting of plastic material moulded in one piece and forming an elongated loop, an outer portion of said loop being arcuate in crosssection and an inner portion being approximately straight and tubular in cross-section, said inner portion being adaptable to assume the shape of a pliers handle, or like tool handle, and having an opening on one end to receive a leg of said pliers, or tool, handle to substantially the full length of said leg of said handle, and said arcuate portion of the loop being so designed as to permit one-handed manipulation of the pliers, or like tool, in all circumstances, in addition to providing insulation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

